Drier for wall-boards.



H. S. HEICHERT.

DRIER FOR WALL BOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1909.

Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SIIBETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I H. S. HEIGHERT.

DRIER FOR WALL BOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1909.

Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I INVENTbR g fmfi WITNESSE %QI/L Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

H. S. HEIOHERT.

DRIER FOR WALL BOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909.

INVENTOR :{LWW MKAM via WITNEQS??? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN S. HEICHERT, OF FORD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY,'0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRIER FOR WALL-BOARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN S. llnionnn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ford City,-in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers for \Vall-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement has for its object, the provision of an improved means for drying wall board such as is commonly formed from a combination of plaster of Paris, wood fiber, cement, and other like materials. mixed with water and made by means of pressure preferably in what is known as a filter press.

The special object of this present invention in the provision of a drier of this character which will accommodate a large number of boards within a minimum of space and which will effectively cause the drying of the same and at the same time support them While they are being dried, in the position in which they will be least liable to injury, as by warping or distortion such as might be caused if they were handled in the usual Way.

The above, as well as such other objects as will hereinafter appear, I attain by means of a construction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 represents in side elevation an apparatus embodying my improvement;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of a like apparatus;

Figure 3 shows in enlarged view a portion of the carriers and holding mechanism which supports the plaster board:

Figure -'l is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 3, with additional links conn ected thereto;

Figure 5 indicates a detail of the holding mechanism Figure 6 indicates a. detail showing the supporting means whereby the weight of the boards is taken as they pass through the oven or drier, and

Figure 7 indicates the means employed for the motion or driving of the continuously moving carrier.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that T have therein shown a kind of over] or drying chamber 8 provided with a carrier or endless chain device 9 composed of a plurality of connected link members and adapted to be moved along through the drying chamber 8 and provided with depending projections or parts 11, the specific construction whcreo't' will be hereinafter more partimilarly described. such depending projections with the mechanism cm'ipcrating therewith forming a means for supporting a plurality of plaster boards .12 in vertical position. by suspending them at their upper edges. in which condition they will dry with the least danger of distortion or warping, and in which by their being held a suitable distance apart, the air which ascends from suitable vcntilating lilies 13 at the base of the chamber can pass upward between adjacent boards and more readily remove the moisture. If desired. suitable burners may be provided as indicated at 11. along the base of the chamber, to supply heat for making the drying operation more rapid. The carrier or endless conveyor 9 is carried at each end around a suitable pulley wheel 15 which is shown in detail in Figure 7 and which is provided with notches 16 adapted to receive the ends 17 of the. cross bars or rods which in this case are preferably made in tubular form as indicated at 18 in Figure 6. and at. their extreme outer ends on the projecting cent-a1 portions 17 carry the supporting rollers 19 that are held in place by the cotter pins 19 or other suitable contrivance. and are so located as to run along the horizontal track 20 indicated more clearly in Figure 2. and which is preferably formed by means of an angle iron or other suitable commercial rolled shape. there being one below as indicated in Figure 2. and one above the wheel 15.

It is obvious that by the provision of the rollers 19 and the cross bars 18 the weight of the plaster board load which is carried by the conveyor is taken by the supporting track or angle bars 20, and the carrier is prevented from sagging, as the strain is taken ofl' the wheel 15 atthe end which has the function only of allowing the carrier to turn at the end and progressively drives the same through the instrlunentality of the worm wheel 23 driven by the worm shaft- 24 which in turn is driven by belt pulley and overhead driving shaft 26 as clearly indicated in Figure 2.

As a means for causing rapid circulation of air through the drying chamber I provide the outletfiue 27 and the fan 28, which latter is driven in turn by the belt 29 from the driving shaft 26. 7

-Referrin'g now more particularly to Figures 3 to 7, it will be seen that the detail construction of the conveyer or carrier apparatus is such as will readily support the plaster boards at their upper edges. Thus the members 10 constituting the links of the carrier or conveyer chain, I provide with downward projections 11 which on one side are plain, as indicated in Figure 3, and on the other side have the inclined or wedgeshaped surfaces 30 adapted to engage w1t-h rollers 31 that are mounted uponvrods 32,

there being for engagement with each board a pair" of the rollers 31 cooperating with the two portions of the conveyer which carry one row of boards.

It will be evident on examination of Figure 3'that when the board is pushed in and raised into the position shown in said figure it will push the rollers 31 carried by the rods 32 upward until the board passes the rollers, and then as the board comes down the weight of the 'board and rollers will cause the rollers to roll down on the wedges 30 being proportioned to secure the requlsite degree of pressure laterally to hold the. boards from falling out.

It is obvious that in the operation of my invention the boards are introduced at one end of the chamber 8, by pushing them up' ward between the rollers 31 and the adjacent faces of the depending projections 11, and

the movement of the worm shaft 24 causes and an inclined rib on the other, and a plurality of rods extending through the pairs of links and supported between the arms by the inclined ribs.

2. A conveyer for drying apparatus comprising a plurality of links arranged oppositely in pairs, a plurality of substantially parallel arms depending from each link provided with inclined faces, a pluralityof rods extending between the pairs of links, and rollers on the ,rods supported between the arms by the said inclined faces. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed m name in the presence of the two subscribe witnesses.

HERMAN S. HEIGHERT.

Witnesses:

HARVEY L, LEOHNER ARGI-IWQRTH MARTIN. 

